Refrigerating apparatus



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

L. B. WOOLPOLK. REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

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| l I l *k1 Patented Deo. 26, 1882.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. L. B. WOOLPOLK.

RBPRIGBRATING APPARATUS.

No. 269,771. Patented Deo.26,1882.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

No.269,7'71. l Patented Dec.26,1882.

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PATENT derriere.

LUCIE-N B. WOOLFOLK, OF TRACY, MINNESOTA.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 269,771,

dated December 26, 1882.

Application led July 15, 1880. (No model.)

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUCIEN B. WooLFoLK, of Tracy, in the county ot' Lyon and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Refrigerating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had the accompanying drawings.

Figures 1,2, 3, and 4 represent a refrigerator containing my improvement. Fig. l is a 1o plan with covers removed. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken through theline :c x ot' Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section taken through the line x or" Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section taken through the line x of Fig. 1. Figs. 5 and 6 represent a modication of my invention. Fig. 5 is a plan with covers removed. Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-section taken through the line y y ot Fig. 5. Figs. 7,8, 9, and l0 represent a modizo lcation of my invention. Fig. 7 is a plan with covers removed. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal ver; tical section taken through the line z e of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a vertical cross-section taken through the line z e of Fig. 7. Fig. 10 is a vertical cross-section taken through the line We of Fig. 7.4

A, Figs. l, 2, 3, 4, is a refrigerator, having double walls lled with some non-conducting material. The. refrigerator A is divided by the partition B into two compartments, the storage-compartment A and the refri geratin gcompartment A2.

.C is the air-inlet, through which warm air passes from A into A2, and D is an airescape, at the bottom of thepartitionB,through which cold air passes from A2 into A.

E is the refrigerating-battery, divided preferably by the salt-receptacle F into the two ice-compartments a, and preferably supplied with ice through a vdoor'in the top of the refrigerator. The salt -receptacle F has both sides slatted at the bottom to allow the brine to come in contact with the salt.

b is the overliow or ofdet'pipe of the refrigerating-battery E, enlarged so as to admit of the escape of air, and having an aperture cut in its lower end, for the free passage of air. The outlet b may be placed anywhere in the retrigerating-battery E; butitis preferably so '5o placed that thc salt-receptacle will protect it from the ice, while the aperture c c allows the free passage of brine and air.

G G are chill-pans, having enlarged otletpipes d and d', for the passage of air and brine.

H is the drip-pan, having oftlet-piped. The drip-pan rests upon-suitabletimbers, I, and the chill-pans and refrigerating-battery rest upon other timbers I, or other proper support extending from front to back in the drip-pan and chillpans, soas to allow the free passage of currents ot' air between the refrigeratingbattery E and the chill-pans and drip-pan.

K K aretimbers, which support the refrigerating-battery on all sides in such a manner as 5 to form air-passages c e, through which the air passes in currents downward around and beneath the refrigeratingbattery and the chill-a pans. i

The advantages of' this apparatus are, irst,

the action ofthe salt-receptacle causes an econ.; 7o

omy of ice, together with greater intensity ot' cold 54 second, the air circulates thoroughly throughout the refrigeratingcompartment A2, both through the ice in the refrigerating-battery and through the air-passages around and beneath the refrigerating-battery and the chillpans; and, third, the air circulates thoroughly throughout the storage-compartment A. in passing from the air-escape D to the end of the air-inlet C.

- The brine passes out ot' the refrigeratingbattery E at a very low temperature into the chill-pan G. The bottom of the refrigerating`- battery is so cold as to be covered with ice or frost. The brine in the chill-pans is also very 85 cold. The air is not only chilled by the metal beneath the pans, but by means of the enlarged oflilets b b2, the air chilled by the surface of the cold brine is allowed to escape into the air-currents d, and thus increase the refrigeratiug force of the rerigeratiug-battery. Any nnmberof chill-pans may be used, and the circulation ofthe brine may be increased by returning it from the drip-pan to the refrigerating-battery E through a pipe by means ot' a force-pump.

The air-inlet C is not necessarily a pipe or tube. A tube is employed where it is necessary to induce thorough circulation of the air throughout the storage-compartment A. In all` other cases the tube may bedispensed with, and the air-inlet C consists merely of an open ing above the top of the partition B, through which the air lmay freely pass from A into IOO A2. Such an arrangement is represented in Figs. and 6, and it may he adopted wherever most convenient.

In cases where a separate partition, B, is not desired, the front of the refrigerating-battery E, together with the supports K, may consti- `tute the partition B.

lIn Figs. 5 and 6 is a modification of my invention as applied to a large refrigerator, A, where the storage-compartment A comprises several stories of a building. Here the refrig erator A is divided, as before, into the storagecoinpartment A', and the rei'rigerating-compartment A2 by the partition B, which extends from bottom to top of the refrigerator A. A series ofreirigerating-batteries E are placed in the top of the refrigerator A. These refrigerating-batteries E are precisely the same as in Figs. 1,2, 3, and 4, having each the icecompartments a., salt-receptacle F, chill-pan G, drip-pan H, enlarged offlets b, timbers I and K, and air-passages e. The only modification introduced is the modification of the partition B, necessary to apply the force of the refrigerating-batteries E to a refrigerator-house of several stories. The partition B separates the refrigerating-batteries E and the refrigerating compartment A2 from the storage-compartment A', as in Figs. l, 2, 3, and 4. The refrig- 3o.erating'battery being placed in the top of the refrigerator A, it is necessary to extend the refrigerating-conipartment containing the cold air from the refrigerating-battery A down to the bottom of the refrigerator. The partition B here consists of the wall between the refrigerating-batteries E, and the storage-coinpartment A'of the floor beneath the batteries E, and of the wall below, which separates A2 from A'. The cold air from the refrigeratingbattery E occupies the entire rei'rigeratingcompartment A2 from the top to the bottom,

ofthe refrigerator A, and passes through the air-escape D at the bottom of the refrigerating-coinpartment A2 into the storage-compartment A', and thus ascends through the open floorsl and passes over the top of the partition B into the refrigerating-compartment A2. Here it passes through the refrigerating-battery E and the air-passages e e, and being chilled descends through the compartment Azto the bottom ofthe refrigerator, as before. 1t is thus apparent that the only modification here introduced isa modification of the partition B, so as to extend the refrigerating-compartment A2 to the bottom of the'refrigerator A.

In Figs. 7, 3, 9, and l() amodification of my invention is presented, applicable to smaller refrigerators when less refrigerating force is required than in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4. ,IVe have here the same two compartments A and A2 as in Figs. l, 2, 3, 4. The cold is induced in the saine manner by the action of ice and salt in the ice-compartment a and the salt-receptacle F. The air circulates, as before, through the air-inlet C, and then passes through the ice in the refrigerating-battery E, and escapes through the enlarged outlet b b', and also passes, as before, through the air-passages e around and beneath the refrigerating-battery, and escapes through the air-escape D. In all these modifications of my improvement the circulation of air through thc ice in the refrigerating-battery is a most important feature, since the ice above the brine is excessively chilled by the conduction of its heat into the brine, so that it greedily seizes upon the heat in the air that passes through it without the ice melting much, the heat absorbed from the air heilig conducted down into the brine. By this means, and by the air being conducted through the air-passages e around and beneath the refrigerating-battery, the cold brine becomes the especial refrigerating force, and since one pound of ice melted into brine at 50 to 100 Fahrenheit above zero is equivalent in refrigerating force to several pounds melted at the natural melting-point of ice, the arrangement Which makes cold brine the refrigerating agent ei'ects both the eiciency and economy of refrigerating materials. In all these essential features this form of apparatus is the same as in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, the modifications introduced being merely such as secure cheapness of construction and convenience of use as applied to ordinary refrigerators where less refrigerating force is required. The modifications consist, first, in placing the salt-receptacle on one side of the refrigeratingbattery E, and having one ice-compartment, a, and the refrigerating-battery is for convenience opened on one side to admit of the supply of ice through the door L in the side ofthe refrigerator; second, for economy of construction, the partition B is formed by extending one side of the salt-receptacle up to the top of the refrigerator, so that it, with the front of the refrigerating-battery and the supports I I, constitute the partition B third, in placing the enlarged offlet-pipe b behind the salt-receptacle F, which allows the free exit of air from the surface of the brine; but as the passage to the enlarged outlet bis too far and intricate to admit of sufficiently-tree circulation of air through the ice, this circulation is promoted by constructing air-outlets b' upon the two side of the refrigerating-battery.

A free course for the brine to the enlarged 'oiletlpipe b is provided by constructing upon the back of the salt-receptacle F (which is a solid board) perpendicular strips g of any required thickness, the tops of which are lower than the top of the enlarged ofllet-pipe 1.', so that brine and air freely flow over their top; but one of these strips, g', is higher than theenlarged ofliet-pipe b, and,being clamped tight to the refrigerating-battery E bythe clam p M, prevents the passage of brine around that end of the salt-receptacle, and in passing round the other end ot' the salt-receptacle in its longer flow the brine loses much of its chill and flows oi from the refrigerating-battery with its temperature so much raised that no chill-pan is necessary, the drip-pan H being suicient to extract its remaining chill.

ICO

IIO

What I claim as new is- 1. The combination of' the refrigerator A, vstoragecompartment A, refrigerating compartment A2, partition B, air-inlet C, air-es- 5 cape D, refrigerating-battery E, ice-compartment a, salt-receptacle F, enlarged oftlet-pipe b, chill-pan G, drip-pan H, ofdet-pipe d, timber-supports I and K, and air-passages e, substantially as described.

1o 2. The process of cooling the air of a refrigerator by passing the air to be cooled through the ice in a refrigerating-battery having ice and salt in separate compartments with brine as the mediunn of communication be- 15 tween them, and also through air-passage' around and beneath the refrigerating-battery. 3. The salt-receptacle F, in combination with the refrigerator A, refrigeratin g battery E, icecolnpartxnent rt, and enlarged offlet b, substano tially as set forth.

4. The combination of the refrigerating-battery E, salt-receptacle F, ice-compartment a,

enlarged oftlet b, timber-supports I and K, and air-passages-e, with the refrigerator A, partition B, air-inlet C, and air-escape D, snbstan- :z5`

tially as and for the purpose set forth.

.5. In combination with the refri geratin g-battery E, salt-recepta cle F, and ice-compartment a, the enlarged offlet-pipe b, substantially as described. 3o

6. The combination of the chill-pan G With the refrigeratorA, reirigerating-battery E, saltreceptacle F, ice-compartment a., and enlarged oet b, in the manner and for the purpose set forth. 35 7.' The combination of the air-inlet G with the refrigerator A, partition B, storage-compartment A', refrigerating-compartment A2, refrigeratingbattery E, salt-receptacle F, and

ice-compartment a, substantially as described. 4o

LUGIEN B. WOOLFOLK. Witnesses:

OHAs. RAETTY, F. C. BOWMAN. 

